A New Chapter:

Soulful Sunrises

My husband asked me if there were things I had compromised in my life. I had an immediate response for him. Read on to hear what I said.

The reason I could answer so quickly is because I have been trying to imagine a life that doesn’t involve my career and work. While many may have dreamed of a time with no alarm or deadlines, I’m not one of them.

Call it a lack of future planning or fear of boredom, but my work in public health and injury and violence prevention has consumed much of my life, mostly because of an overriding desire to create a safer and healthier world for the people I love. Not because work is my “purpose,” but because the people I love are.

After almost 40 years of progress, I’m now watching the protections I’ve worked so hard for erode. I’m watching empathy and compassion dissipate. I’m saddened by the lack of critical thinking skills. I’m questioning whether these attributes ever existed the way that I thought they did.

I AM encouraged by my amazing younger colleagues who are smarter and more skillful than I am. They are competent to continue the work. I just feel bad that my generation didn’t anticipate the harm we are facing today and didn’t work harder to prevent it.

Now it is time to turn my attention to helping in other ways.

My response to my husband was that for most of my life I lived outside of my values trying to “fit in” with societal expectations. It has not served me well either physically or emotionally, and it did not set a good example for my daughter.

That changes now.

Connection, Food, Discovery, Nature, Self-Reflection

Soulful Sunrises

A space for women to connect, create balance, feed the human spirit, discover, and self-reflect. It is inspired by women who are creating their own “next chapters” instead of following a prescribed societal path.

A community of women who return home from our travel with renewed confidence, clarity, and connections.
We believe in creating safe, inspiring, and rejuvenating travel experiences where women can recharge, connect, and grow.
Assume the best — Lead with curiosity and turn to wonder.
Practice both/and — When speaking, substitute “and” for “but.” This acknowledges and honors multiple realities and nuances.
Intent does not equal impact — Try to understand and acknowledge impact. Denying the impact of something said by focusing on intent is often more destructive than the initial interaction.
Try it on — We each have different viewpoints based in the journey and lens we’ve experienced. Practice speaking from this space and listening to others who are doing so, without listening to respond.
No fixing people — There are no easy answers or simple solutions. When people are discussing personal experiences, do them the courtesy of listening without attempting to fix them.